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Human
s are one of the races featured in the Darksiders Series. They were the inhabitants of the Third Kingdom, Earth. Though they were nowhere near as fearsome as either Angels or Demons, they were equally as cunning and far more industrious, having adapted their environment to suit them and tamed the Earth by the time of their destruction. They were to grow in power until the time when they were on equal terms with the two other races. History Humans are considered oddities among the denizens of creation. Beings who, unlike any other fashioned by the hand of another, were born under their own power from nothing but dust. Such was their potential that they were given the nickname of the Third Kingdom to rival the established First Kingdom of Heaven and Second Kingdom of Hell. To safeguard the humans they were given the Realm of Eden, but a particularly rowdy bunch took offense to this perceived favoritism: the Nephilim. Absalom, first born and leader of the Nephilim, believed that his people deserved Eden since they had no realm of their own and sought to conquer it. The resulting clash between the armies of Heaven with the Four Horsemen, traitorous Nephilim empowered by The Charred Council, at their side and the Nephilim resulted in the destruction of Eden and the annihilation of the Nephilim. Darksiders Genesis After Eden, Humanity was relocated to Earth, but the powers at large were not done with them yet. Lucifer and Lilith made a pact with the Fallen Angel, Astarte and several demons, Mammon, Belial, Dagon and Moloch each of them embodying the worst traits of celestial kind. The pact was simple, their souls upon their deaths in exchange for great power, Lucifer leaked his plans to the Charred council and they sent their enforcers War and Strife to hunt his co-conspirators. With the raw materials needed for the endgame gathered, Lucifer and Lilith condensed the souls of their customers into the Animus and used it to infect humanity. In his own words 'gifting' them the worst traits of angles and demons alike. The Charred Council ordered that the Tree of Life on the mortal world destroyed to prevent unsanctioned entrance to the realm by the other kingdoms. Yet it seems that there are alternate means of travel to Earth, such as the Reflecting Pool's, like the one found in Lostlight. Death's Door While running an errand for the archangel Abaddon, Death, Leader of the Horsemen, found himself trekking to the realm of Man in search of a rogue demon whom had infiltrated the White City and slaughtered dozens in the Heavenly Lords legions. The most enigmatic of the Horsemen went to see an equally equivocal caretaker of the Far Fields known as The Horsemaster, to see about finding secret passage to the Human plane. The latter complied out of respect for the Nephilim's just causes but cautioned that his unsanctioned actions could rouse anger from the other celestials. A fury which would inevitably befall the Third Kingdom as a consequence. Upon awakening, Death finds himself mired in a slew of eviscerated bodies left in the wake of Abaddon's devil. Human bodies, eventually coming across a human wearing the sigil of Heavens Crossblade around his neck as the peasent made more corpses. Death would tour 17th century Paris a bit, admiring mankind's societal expansion while bandying with lost souls. His venture would be interrupted by both his quarry and the revelation to their true identity. The ravenous beast plaguing the human world revealed herself an angelic warrior named Makhala, one of many amongst The Hellguard garrison who fought the Nephilim beside the Four Horsemen eons prior to man's relocation to Earth. Said beleaguered rider found himself at an impasse as the rogue angel somehow had subsumed the local townsfolk into a vicious mob of cultists loyal to her word. Death would persevere however while avoiding bringing lethal harm to his assailants in his pursuit of Abaddon's former subordinate to a run down cathedral. Where the pale horse rider found Makhala enacting some kind of ritual of purification on one of her followers using a Crossblade pendent. What Death realized was that instead of abating whatever affliction was affecting him, the insane heaven soldier's process exacerbated it. After having slain the corrupted angel and saved the humans from her taint. Death returned to Abaddon with an inquiry. Having realized it was Makhala's pendants which both protected those touched by the rot festering in her and their souls from contamination, and at the same time poisoned those who did not withhold one in their possession. The horsemen believed it to be a ploy worthy of the heavenly host to foster faith in them among the kingdom of man. The Archangel was baffled by such news as he'd assumed only a demon could slay a regiment of his best warriors. His grim host only countermanded that such assumptions can no longer be fostered. As something new and dangerous was on the horizon, coming to try and test them all. Apocalypse For centuries, humanity was overlooked by the cosmos at large, until their growing potential could no longer be ignored. Hell's forces took advantage of the initiative by the Archangel Abaddon to cripple their armies by tricking them into launching a full scale invasion of the Earth so they could wipe out the majority of the human race. Incensed by this blatant violation of their decrees yet lacking the necessary proof which would enable the Horsemen to act on their behalf, The Charred Council framed their Horsemen, War for the crimes of Abaddon and his cohorts. They would keep him as their prisoner for a hundred years in order to use the early apocalypse to their own advantage for they too feared mankind and would opt for their annihilation like many throughout the cosmos. While these almighty beings plotted Man's extinction, others conspired to save them from their abysmal fate. Long before the premature apocalypse occurred the demon and former Council member known as the Lord of the Hollows traveled to Earth and harvested the souls of willing humans storing them inside of himself, and when humanity became an endangered species he would expand his operation to the war weary soldiers of heaven and hell. Erstwhile, a group of Makers led by the Old One Ulthane made their own way to Earth after Corruption began devastating the Forge Lands. Where, during their exile, they'd built a shelter there collecting as many humans as possible and safeguarding them from those who would see the last of the kingdom of man destroyed. Darksiders III Before War's return and during Death's leave of absence, the Horsemen Fury was sent to Earth on an engineered suicide mission where she encountered Old Ones sheltering human survivors. While initially unconcerned with the affairs of Man's well being Ulthane bribed Fury with upgrades to her weapons and armor in exchange if she would deliver as many humans as possible to their Haven using The Bridge Stone. Throughout her journey she would habitually, continually make snide and mean spirited remarks about how lowly or less they really were in the greater scheme of things. Often calling them pathetic or idiotic and questioning their intelligence in regards to how they lived. Having spent millennia squabbling over flimsy idols and differing belief's finding them tragically overrated because of it. In her own words Fury categorized them as "A tribe of useless, hairless simians whose greatest talent was inventing ingenious new ways to divide and destroy one another!". Something which a rather peculiar human took great offense too, citing that she and other high & mighty cosmic factions as infinitely no better. Asking what all of them were even fighting for after Fury threatened him, saying their conflict made them all look like a bunch of jackasses fighting over pointlessness itself without any real rhyme or reason behind it. After her rescue by the Lord of the Hollows, she was given more insight into the affairs of how and/or why the war for false balance took as horrible a turn as it did. Subtly provided hints at whom was really to blame for what happened to the Earth and how Humanity was at the heart of the matter. In the meantime the Rider of the Black Horse received some increasingly brutal lessons in humility by the Seven Deadly Sins, among others, until the Lord of Hollows declared her his successor. Detailing about how it was in man that Balance could be truly realized through the coarse of their progression. Something which the other races greatly feared them for, including the Charred Council. Seeing as they deliberately enabled the premature end war by doing nothing at all in order to invalidate mankind's significance via extinction. He would entrust her with his physical form and all the souls stored therein within the Mysterious Stone Sigil. Something that Fury had no real idea what to make of since she was still in denial of various truths revealed to her along her quest. It was not until confronting Pride did the actuality behind current events finally sunk in. The leader of the sins commenting about who really unleashed the Seven Deadly upon the broken Earth or about what their purpose was, given how now that humanity was no more. The final lesson came after Envy revealed her true self after dispatching Pride. She told her mistress that the Council had in fact played her for a fool and are indeed as dirty as the rest. After being tended to by the humans she'd directed to Ulthane's care while near dying. The black rider was met with the same mysterious man whom questioned her earlier in her story. Realizing how hollow and petty she was and having suffered greatly for it. Jones comments that shes finally alive, saying she should meet with Ulthane when she's ready. Having asked Ulthane as to why the humans helped her. The ancient being simply replied it's what they do. Especially since she helped them find solace in his care. After having bested both the final Sin and the treasonous Council upon her return, Fury is met with harried commotion as Haven comes under assault by the armies of the Destroyer. Realizing this assault was more likely than not further activity entailing her former lord's treachery. It is then and there where she makes the epiphany that this whole early end war was waged specifically based on the underlying fear that Heaven, Hell and the Charred Council possess towards Humanity. She goes onto explain that Man was created to accomplish great things and yet were purposely left defenseless. In doing those who fear them could use every means available as excuses to validate their schemes & manipulations. Fury, having truly embraced her new calling, decided to act as the protector to the still living humans while the Makers held off Vovin's forces as she and the remaining survivors made their escape. Taking them all off world beyond the celestial reach, where too no one knows. Darksiders II Independent of the old ones or the council, the Horseman Death embarked to resurrect Humanity on his own so that his brother's supposed crime would be erased. Death learned from the Lord of Bones that all the souls of humanity that now crowded his kingdom wail for vengeance. Death's journey through The Abyss was long and brutal clashing with beings of great power from The Veil, Forge Lands, Dead Plains, Lostlight and Shadow's Edge. Along the way, he would befriend the once mortal soul of Draven. A fallen warrior whom was cheated out of a second chance at life by the Dead King & his court after winning in their gilded arena. They would exchange battle techniques and information wherein the elder Nephilim would come to respect him. Even directing Death on a quest against the Bloodless, but denying true peace for a chance at revenge on his Lord. Whilst on his quest, Death would briefly visit the Earth during his Journey, hearing rumors of at least an inkling of surviving remnants pertaining to the Kingdom of man from Uriel of The Hellguard. For she too was looking for answers about any remaining human survivors upon the shattered Earth, hoping to find some minuscule sense of meaning in her tireless failed crusade. Seeking the last of the humans out, He would find himself assailed by a lone mortal survivor known as The Hunter who angrily sought vengeance against all who served in the demonic horde. Having mistaken the Horsemen for one of their number until he'd dispatched a powerful hell legionnaire while the reaper was tracking him. The two would converse for a time and Death would inquire as to the whereabouts of any other lingering survivors, The Hunter would explain he was coerced by the Demon Lord Belial to root them out. In exchange for his soul and his own survival he would sell out other humans to his benefactor to exterminate as well as consume at his leisure. Hearing tell of the sloven commander, Death opted to head out and kill him. The Hunter scoffed at such a notion but the Horsemen was undeterred nonetheless. Fighting his way to the Demon Lord in question. Death spotted Belial eating the remains of some of his latest human stock he had on hand. The enforcer of the Council would exchange words with the haughty demon only to find he'd lied about withholding The Hunter's soul before doing battle with him. After death handily dispatched his opponent, he would return to the item of his quest to convey the good news. Said lone human was greatly overjoyed to hear he was well & truly free of the diminutive lord, but his elation quickly turned to horror when he'd found out Belial never had ownership of him to begin with. Horrified by such a revelation The Hunter begged Death to kill him. The rider sullenly obliged, looking the other way while slitting the human's throat with his Scythe. With the demise of the last known human survivor, Death's belief in the extinction of humanity and the need of his mission was reaffirmed. Yet Death's most dangerous and persistent foe was his thought to be deceased sibling Absalom in the form of Corruption as it warped the minds and bodies of those that it encountered into insane monstrosities with his sheer hatred and desire for destruction. Finally the two one time brothers clashed inside of the Well of Souls and Death emerged victorious. To repair the damaged Well that was broken by the misuse of Angels and Demons, Death sacrificed himself and the souls of the Nephilim to restart the reincarnation process of Man. Darksiders The humans left a legacy on the Earth; their monolithic structures dotted the realm in various states of disrepair. After a hundred years all that remained of the humans themselves were their corpses, either in the form of the Wicked, the Undead, the Swarm or their collective charred remains creating the colossal Ashlands region in the Destroyed City. Finally, after 100 years and exhausting three horsemen of their loyalty the Charred Council released War from his imprisonment in The Abyss and bound him to The Watcher for coercing him to eliminate their unwitting benefactors/lawbreakers. All while secretly intending to dispose of him when all was said and done at the end as well. Arriving on Earth War looked around and saw only devastation, as well as encountering the twisted cadaverous remnant of what was once Man. When asked what became of the world in his absence, The Watcher answered that he'd been gone for a century at most, which was long enough for the Demon victors to kill off humankind. Leaving War to lament the loss of the Third Kingdom, all whilst unaware of Fury and Death's actions. War hunted the instigators of his supposed war crime, and in the process ripped the literal hearts out of Hell's leadership on Earth, freed the Well of Souls and it's angelic guardian Azrael from demon control, by the time the Seventh Seal was finally shattered and Abaddon once again laid dead. The ground work had been laid for humanity's triumphant return to the Earth. Society Before their fall, humans were divided between many differing ideologies, nationalities, and societies all of which had little if any knowledge of Creation beyond their own realm. It is unknown what form human society will take after their resurrection, though it is unlikely to return exactly as it was before. According to Ulthane, helping those who helped them regardless of who they are is what humans do after Fury asked him why would the humans have helped her after being left for dead by Envy. The latter of whom, in her Watcher guise, even commented that for all their faults, Human beings had a greater penchant for creation than any known race. Even saying that Angels once envied their capacity for art. The final words of the Lord of Hollows reveals despite all their faults, that many in the universe disregard humanity as a rank and file disposable class of entity. That in truth humans were always meant to grow and embody the universal Balance which everything is apart of. Being the only creatures throughout the Creators design who can evolve. Notable Human Characters *Draven - Formerly a human warrior, Draven died centuries ago and serves as the Dead King's Master of Blades as an Undead. *The Hunter - One of the last human survivors, the Hunter survived years alone thanks to a bargain with a demon lord named Belial. *Jones - One of the last human survivors, he was protected by the Makers, led by Ulthane. Later revealed to be Strife of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Trivia *The live-action Darksiders II trailer "The Last Sermon" focuses on a parish of surviving humans taking refuge during the End-War from a horde of Legion Soldiers as Death prepares to face them alone, however, Death never encountered this variety of Demon on Earth during the events of the game itself. **Except during the DLC "The Demon Lord Belial" where the leader of the horsemen encountered them left and right in search for clues to the last remaining human on Earth. * Humans are often described as simple and undeserving by other beings in the Darksiders universe. Cruelly called "Apes" and "Hairless simians" by those who disregard them out of pride and/or jealousy. This includes Envy and Fury before coming to understand humanity. ** Absalom going by the moniker of Corruption, was the one who coined humanity as weak and simple. Stating that they could neither survive Death's revival attempts nor are they worthy of it. ** Ulthane tends to call the humans "wee ones" due to their small height compared to his and other makers height. ** The Lord of Hollows paraphrases angel and demon mindset of humans being they're playthings. As the forgotten class. *The Pale Rider once commented during Death's Door that not everyone who wishes harm to humanity were all Demons. He'd surmised that the tainted crossblade accessories Makhala used to fashion her own church wouldn't have been a tactic beneath Heaven's purview in order to ferment greater faith of them. **It is with the Black Rider; Fury's epiphany that pointed out Heaven, Hell, the Charred Council and others fear of Humanity. The premature End War serving as an excuse to justify their decimation. * The way of how other races in the universe fear Humanity draws certain parallel's to the Drej of Titan A.E. An animated Post-Apocolyptic film wherein an invading species seeks to actively wipe out mankind out of fear of what they may become. * While the First and Second Kingdoms, the Charred Council and others hate and fear them, there are some who have some respect for humanity and their world. Often voicing concern for the thid kindoms survival. ** Azrael showed serious concerns with Abaddon's plans to destroy the seven seals, stating that the third kingdom would not survive. ** The Horsemaster, while respecting his cause, cautioned Death against incurring the wrath of the celestials. As they're fury often befell the unsuspecting Earth as a consequence. ** Ulthane created Haven as a human refuge for lingering survivors out of guilt for aiding Abaddon's schemes. ** The Lord of the Hollows acknowledged Mans true purpose and collected many souls to become an unknown amulet that is presumed to serve as humanity's new seed to help them reach their full potential as penance for his complacence. ** Each of the horsemen shows their respect towards humanity (excluding Fury beforehand) in their own ways: *** War, who was wrongfully framed for man's extinction, was morose for their world being lost. *** Death set to erase War's "crime" by resurrecting humanity. Even though it's mainly to save is younger brother, he indeed bares his own appreciation for man's world; such as defending them when Absalom insulted and attempted to exterminate them to take Eden, saving the few corrupted humans from the angel Makhala's thrall and helping the Hunter by killing the demon lord Belial. He even showed regret in granting his request to die but followed through on it nonetheless. **** He even stopped along his Journey in "The Last Sermon" Darksiders trailer to protect a church teaming with survivors beset by the Destroyer's legions. *** Fury was the only horsemen who disregarded humanity with a passion; only seeing their flaws and cruelly taunted them long after their near extinction, even threatening to kill the human Jones until she came to respect the latter. She soon resolved to protect them 'till justice comes after realizing how they'd been wronged by those who're supposed to protect them, as she was by her own masters; the Charred Council. *** Strife is among the few individuals to openly express any genuine deference towards humanity, having aided Ulthane in protecting their remnants. Going so far as changing his sister Fury's previous views of humanity, even disguising himself as the human survivor Jones. **Uriel of the Hellguard would expend considerable time and effort trying to find out the truth in a rumor of surviving humans left on the ruined Earth for herself. Hoping that there was some meaning behind the battlefield that became of it, hoping that the Third Kingdom was not yet extinguished. * There are some contradictory findings about Mankind and the rest of the universe. If Humanity truly spent eons unaware of the other kingdoms until the apocalypse, it comes to wonder how they developed the notion's of God, Angels and Demons. ** It's a possibility that well hidden individuals of either Heaven or Hell have visited the Earth and interacted with Humans in some capacity. Gallery Ds crowd1-1-.jpg|Concept Art Ds crowd2-1-.jpg|Concept Art Ds hunter4-1-.jpg|Concept Art for The Hunter Darksiders_Apocalypse.jpg|The Fall of Earth War next to a human.jpg|War next to a police officer during the Apocalypse de:Menschen Category:Articles containing spoilers Category:Lore Category:Humans